This invention relates to a socket having a contact element to be electrically connected to an electrical components such as a terminal of a semiconductor integrated circuit (hereinafter referred to as an IC chip), and relates more particularly to a contact which makes such electrical connection in a resilient or elastically compressed manner.
In conventional practice, IC chips have been placed in a heating oven or furnace to be subjected to a heat resistance test for determining whether the chips are satisfactory or not. The IC chips are inserted into known test sockets to engage chip terminals with socket contacts to connect the chips in test circuits during the noted tests and it is found that the engagement of the socket contacts with the chip terminals during the tests results in less than fully reliable connection and the chip terminal may be marred by its engagement with the socket contact. These difficulties occur not only during such heat resistance tests but also during other long duration engagements of the socket contacts with the chip terminals.